How do living things interact with each other and the environment?
Learning Targets
Learning Experiences
Learning Targets
Learning Experiences
148 I can investigate biomes, using a variety of sources, to compare and contrast the characteristics of each. (7) 149 I can use evidence to classify major geographical regions into biomes, based on climate and dominant life forms. (7)
150 I can create graphs resenting exponential, linear, and logistic growth and use those graphs to calculate doubling time for a population. (9) 151 I can use mathematical or computer models to investigate the factors affecting population growth in an ecosystem. (9)
Students apply the hierarchical concepts previously learned to an investigation of Earth’s major biomes. Given climatographs and general ecological information, students color code a world map of major biomes. Comparing student-produced maps to accepted biome maps, students evaluate and revise their maps.
Students investigate population growth strategies by summarizing provided data into graphs and comparing graphs that illustrate linear, exponential, and logistic growth. For each graph, students interpret changes in population over time, calculate the “doubling time” for each population, and identify the common factors that lead to that growth pattern. After this, students apply vocabulary appropriate to each type of graph and the features that distinguish it from other growth patterns. Students review a population growth graph for the United States and brainstorm factors that may have caused that growth (e.g. birth rates, death rates, immigration, and emigration). Students consider if similar factors can be applied to the growth of nonhuman populations. To investigate factors that impact population growth, students build and place simple arthropod traps around the school and/or home. Each trap is accompanied by a count of the number and types of plants present in area surrounding the trap. Each student counts and sorts samples, sharing arthropod and plant count data to create whole class graphs of arthropod density and diversity vs. plant density and diversity.
Web-based interactives and resources provide information for students to illustrate and annotate biome maps. Then students use the refined maps to organize and separate organisms into appropriate biomes.
Teacher Resources
Biomes — Alabama Science in Motion N1Biomes Students will explore ecology and biodiversity in seven terrestrial biomes with unique biotic and abiotic characteristics. bit.ly/AMSTI-ASIM Global Carbon Storage in Biomes — Alabama Science in Motion J16GlobCarb Students complete computer-based exercises using NASA satellite data and Google Earth in order to visualize global patterns of terrestrial carbon storage among biomes and the relationship between primary productivity and atmospheric CO2 and to illustrate the effects of land use changes on global carbon storage. bit.ly/AMSTI-ASIM Biome Travel Brochure — Biology Junction Students will make a Biome Brochure containing major biotic and abiotic factors. bit.ly/biome-brochure
Teacher Resources
V Populations exist in states of either constant growth or decline. Misconception
Population Bean Quick Lab North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District Students learn to estimate population size using the mark-recapture method. bit.ly/population-bean
Call of the Wild Part 1 — NMSI Laying the Foundation Lesson This lesson is designed to introduce the concept of predator/prey population cycles. One of the main points of this activity is to help students see that population sizes of predators and their prey fluctuate according to the same pattern, but one is offset in relation to the other. The data collected in this activity can be used as a reference point for terms used during presentation on community and ecosystem ecology. African Lions Modeling Populations — The Concord Consortium The students explore exponential and logistic growth models to analyze population data for African lions and identify carrying capacity. bit.ly/african-lions-modeling
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US Population Growth Graph bit.ly/US-population-growth
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Arthropod Investigation Tree of Life Web Project Simple plastic cup-based arthropod trap instructions and student protocol. bit.ly/arthropod-investigation Arthropod Protocol Arizona State University Elementary lesson plan with instructions for building simple arthropod traps. bit.ly/arthropod-protocol
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87
A Field Guide to the Alabama Standards
86
The Biology Compendium
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